Return: interlude to creation
Dimitri looked at the indisposed doctor on the table, drifting fast. “Tarovisch, doctor. We are all comrades on ship. Spi spokoyno brat.” He waited to ensure doctors well being, even grabbing glass before it fall and break. Thomas finished cleaning up the Engine room then, with everything in full working order, he made his way to the weapons shuttle. Standing just inside, he looked over the interior which was a disaster. There was going to be a lot of work to do but, he wasn’t sure about the weapons systems. He would need to speak with an expert and they just happened to have one on board. Leaving the shuttle, he went looking for the Big Russian. The Russian had made his way from medbay, and to the galley. He stored his Kvass in fridge and exchanged it for something little harder hitting… Pizdets wheat juice… he made way to bunk, and sat down on bed to inspect his pistol, Artyom. He dimly remember bag of small arm, but he concern self with Nikolai and Artyom. Fix family first. He hear tap at door and grip pistol suddenly. Click He startle self in action and tosses gun to side, clearing throat “Ah, oh uh, come in, tarovisch! Don't mind, just ah, mechanism misfired!” He was thoroughly embarrassed at the misfire Thomas didn’t comment on the pistol or what happened, none of his business. “I need your help. We have 2 shuttles aboard this ship and neither one works. One is currently being used by the Twit to sleep in and the other is a mishmash gunship. It currently has twin 10 pound nose guns and a scaled auto cannon. Are you familiar with these weapons?” “Twit? Am unfamiliar with term. But I know way around machinery, maybe I help. How bad is damage?” “Well currently the weapons are dismantled. I can fix the rest of the shuttle but, not the weapons and on top of that, I need to know what kind of power will be needed for them to be operational. I was hoping you could handle the armament part of the task. Either rebuilding the current weapons or upgrading them and letting me know what kind of mechanical/power requirements will be needed.” “Ok, we have deal on one condition. You give me key to armory, and put word in for materials so I can make my Nikolai truly beautiful.” The slav sat up and eyed engineer with look of almost hunger. He hold out hand expectantly, palm tilted slightly up. Thomas holds out his hand and takes the Slav’s. “I will put in word for all the materials you need, blaming it on repairs for the shuttle but, I don’t have a key to the armory. I sent a bag of weapons for you when I was smuggled aboard the ship but, that’s the best I can do. Still have a deal? Oh and Twit is a term for someone who makes many mistakes and is basically useless. I use it for useless Deckhand L-Lloyd.” Dimitri bounced hand “I do not know about that, menshka, she has many use. She is lady of talent. But deal” With that Slav stood from bed and follow mechanic out of door and away to shuttle. He ran mentally through his knowledge of canons Big facking gun “What are we looking at here?” “We are looking at a lot of work. Seems parts of this ship were scavenged before I arrived and there are missing parts everywhere. If you could figure out best way to configure weapons, I can then configure the rest of the shuttle to support them and make this a very fast and powerful gun Shuttle” Thomas looks the ship over and starts to look under the main console to see what is connected to what. Dimitri walked around front of shuttle, and gazed at the array of weapons. His thoughts slowed down to sheer lucidity. Twin heavy auto cannons, big guns, basic gunpowder kinetic based, should be an easy matter of some maintenance on the hammer and maybe a piston depending on the set up, but the targeting systems will need a diagnostic check up to see if they were tampered with. He looked below belly of elegant beast. “Focus” He saw a trap door, most likely for explosive ordinance, and a good amount judging by the cramped cabin of the heavy gun boat. That along with the missile ports along the front, he'd have his hands full checking launch, priming, deployment, and tracking systems for a good while. Then that doesn't even take into account the potential replacement of ordinance, assuming they kept that at all and didn't fill it with god knows what.“Meshka, there is not much just looking, but many tests need run. I'll start by checking systems, trap door, targeting, tracking, and maybe some primers, then physical maintenance on ordinance before testing out those mechanics.” He wipe brow “Then I worry about gun.” Start from threat, work way down. “Who’s worried about what gun?” Captain Keller asked, peeking in on the progress. “You fella’s ain’t planning on arming this ship, are you? That all is vintage from the Unification War. I told Riley to get rid of it before some Gorram pi gu’s get a moon brained notion to put it back together. A pea shooter like this served its purpose with the ground troops, but out in the Black, it’s not going to scratch the paint of even the smallest gun ship, but it gives them justification to shoot us from the sky. Now, I like you, son. But if you continue to try ablow up or otherwise get my crew killed? I’m not even gonna find a nice rock to set you down on. I will airlock you straight into space. Are we clear?” “Like crystal. I take slight fence, I am competent in my craft, Captain. I know my business, and if these are disabled, we need run maintenance, for safekeeping and so no explosion from jostled ordinance. But I no tell you how to run ship.” Dimitri stood and wipe hand on coverall. “Beside, it menshka idea,” sparing a glance to Devron, “I just need job. Idle hand do devil work, and mine hand is stayed, captain.” The Captain nodded, still being hung up on the word ‘fence.’ “Fine, you want something to do, I got a whole armory needs cleaned, organized and looked after, so we can offload the shit we’re hauling around. You want to make yourself useful, how about you go do that?” The Slav grinned, “Would be honor, captain. I take stock.” He held his hand out for a good shake. The Captain went to shake his hand, but then remembering the whole “piss-in-a-jar” ordeal, retracted his hand. “Code is 5858. It was supposed to be 6969, but there was tequila when I was setting it up, and I was a row off. Now if you don’t mind? I have to go see a man about a job.” “Have good time tarovisch, I have see man about horse” He sidestepped the captain and made way to armory but stopped himself. Something feel unease. He went to his bunk, and grab jar, then grab music, then headed to armory. He punch code.